Second Employee at Emporia Presbyterian Manor Tests COVID-19 Positive

A second Emporia Presbyterian Manor employee tested positive this week for COVID-19. The employee is in isolation and quarantined at home.

“The safety of our residents and staff members remains our top priority,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s infection preventionist and vice president for health and wellness, “We were notified by the Flint Hills Health Department around 10 a.m. Friday that an employee tested positive for COVID-19.”

The employee was tested during Flint Hills Health Department ordered testing of 37 employees at the campus conducted earlier this week. There are still 25 test results pending. The employee is not showing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or respiratory illness.

The Flint Hills Health Department notified the community Friday morning and arrived to conduct campus-wide testing early Friday afternoon. The community notified residents and families and all required federal, state and local agencies. The health department tested 170 employees and residents Friday.

The employees who tested positive will recuperate at home and return to work once they are COVID-19 free. Per CDC guidelines, the employees must have negative results from an FDA Emergency Use Authorized COVID-19 molecular assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from at least 2 consecutive respiratory specimens collected at least 24 hours apart (total of two negative specimens). Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

Presbyterian Manor will follow any additional guidance from the Flint Hills Health Department, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment epidemiology hotline and the CDC.

Presbyterian Manor implemented a strict no visitor policy at the community and discontinued group activities and communal dining for the entire campus per guidelines released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CDC on March 13.

All employees are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. The community regularly reinforces with all staff that an employee should not report to work if he or she is experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.

For more information about Emporia Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.